Pressure cooker



Feb. 24, 1953 H, C. www 2,629,312

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Feb. 24, 1953 H. c. DAvls 2,629,3T2

. PRESSURE cooxER Hamilton C. Davis ama/Wawy meys Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT 1OFFICE IPRESSURE COOKER Y Hamilton C. kDavis,` Diablo, Calif., assigner Ato '.Walnut Creek Canning Co., `Walnut Creek, Calif., acorporation of California .Application September 30, 1949SerialNo. 118,850

' 2l Claims.

Thisuinvention -relates to a rotary pressure cooker for cooking and/or ster-ilizing:large quantities of i kfood .under -pressure and particularly designed for use with applicants ricecanning processdisolosed in his application for patent, Serial No. 52,417,` led .October 1,1948 and .now abandoned on December 12, 1951.

The'v primary object 'of this invention isto kprovide-a sturdyipressure cooker in whichy retort basketscontaining .a multitude of .canned foods maybe safely `rotated vat a slow-'speed withina steam jacket.

A further robject of this invention isI toprovide a rotary .pressure 'cooker for canned `foods havingv a perforated Vinner shell .rotatable within an outer shellor'steam `jacket, and means within the inner shell for slidably and guidingly retaining wire retortI baskets therein.

Yet-,another'object of `this invention'is to provide a pressure cooker `of the character 4describedl in which. .the wire'retortrbaskets. are provided witha :removable Mcover so vthat access may beihadfor loading thefretort baskets, .and a. novelfzmeanszafor` lockinglyf. reiainingthe :cover inv place '.on1the:baskets.t-.andnwthin Athe-.inner rotatable A:perforated :shell to j prevent lateral movement of the cover relativezto the :baskets andthe inner shell.

IThese, together with various ancillary objects and Vfeatures soizthe invention which will. later become apparent `as :the following '.description proceeds, are attained by `the device, .a-zpreferred embodiment of'whichvhas vbeen illustrated. .by way. of.- example onlyfin the zaccompanyingjdrawings, r"wherein:

:.Figurel iisaside elevational view ofthe-V pressure cooker, Vparts :being :broken awayV toi. show details :of construction;

@Figure 2 is ahorizontalsectional"viewthrough the pressure `cooker.- and looking downwardly 'on Figure 1,1 the driving .means being removed;

:Figure 3` is aan :end'lelevatonal view looking to the' left on Figure` .1;

"Figurei is a transverse-vertical sectional view through .the pressure cooker;

Figure 5'Jis1a fragmentary longitudinal -verticalsection'al view .through thepressure cooker illustrating` thef means `for lockinglylretainingv the retortf cover ini place; and

ffFigure eisatransverse.sectionalfvewthrough the inner shell and illustrating the latch` ballorl retaining the retort ybaskets vin place lwithin .the inner shell.

.Speoic reference willnow `be -ma'deto the drawings. In the several views, in thefaccompanying drawings and inthe following specification, similar reference characters indica-teporresponding elements throughout.

.In the canning of certain foods such asrice, it becomes necessary to cookthe canned :foods and sterilize `thesaine with live Vsteam so-that a large number of lcans can be -sorftreatedf that the ycontentsthereof will be subjected to mild agitation throughout the cooking period-to minimizeinjury to the -contents of thecan. Inthe canning of rice, in particular, asset forthfin my patent application, Serial No. 52,4l7,'a multitude of cans of rice must be cooked andesterilized underpressure while Vthe cans are rotated atia slowspeed andendover end. `Ther-present pressurel cookerv is designed andconstructedto effectively carry out this-process.

The, pressure cooker isY fabricated eithersof stainless steel or of other strong.y and rust-resisting metals and ineludesan outer, substantially cylindrical shell .orjacket li] Ywhichhas ratonduit .orv'pipe i2 secured-to itsbottom'wallfor the introduction oflive steam and avalvedconduit .ldsecured to its top wall for conveying away the live steam. At onezend, theouter shellfor jacket lilis open and provided withan `enlarged shoulder orvflange i6, at one-side ofvwhichwis provided an ear IB to Whichis pivoted,.as at 2t, anotherear 22 carrying-a door 24 forclosing this vopen end. Opposite .the ear .|.8, .the shoulder or flange lemaycbe providedwitlra keeper (not shown) forengaging a` latch-.(not shown) carriedby thedoor..24. `Whi-lethedoor may bethinged tothe outer shell lbymeansof a single ear. i8, asingle pivot Zrandk a singleear 22,- itis `preferredthatfa kpairrof ears I8-andfa pair of ears 2r be employed as shown in the drawings so that the-doorwillbe securelyflhinged to lthe outer shell.

Positioned within the outer jacket lxisvan inner, substantially vcylindrical -shell '26 which is perforated: as atr23 and which 'may `be further provided vwith reinforcinggbandsil. vlTheiouter shell or ljacket y|0..hasaseeured tof'its :bottom wallnati desired positions, aipluralityrofzarcuate'd housings 32 which open into the interior of the shell and in which are rotatably mounted, on suitable stub shafts 34, ball bearings 36 which serve as rotatable supports for the inner perforated shell 26, as will be clear with reference to Figure 4. It will further be noted that the housings 32 for the rotatable ball bearings 36 also serve as leg supports for the outer shell I which is preferably retained in a horizontal position.

The end of the inner perforated shell 26 adjacent the door 24 is open, while the opposite end is closed and includes a threaded aperture for receiving a screw 38 which is, in turn, received in a suitable bearing 40 carried centrally in the end wall 42 of the outer jacket l0. The screw 38 is coupled to a stub shaft 44 extending through the bearing 40, upon which is secured a relatively large, toothed gear 46. The relatively large gear 46 is positioned between the legs of a bracket 48 which supports a suitable motor 50 having a drive shaft 52 which carries a relatively small sprocket 54, coupled, by means of an endless chain 56, to a somewhat larger sprocket 60 which is rotatably supported upon a shaft 62 that is offset from the shaft 44. The sprocket 60 carries a pinion 04 which drivingly engages the teeth of the large sprocket 46. Thus, it will be seen that the motor 50 rotates the inner perforated shell 26 within the outer shell or jacket l0 at a relatively slow speed through the reduction gearing 54, 60, 62 and 46.

A substantially rectangular, wire retort basket 66 is provided which may either be a single elongated basket or a series of interconnected baskets separated by suitable partitions 68. The retort basket 66 is positioned in the inner shell 26 through the open end of the jacket I0 when the door 24 is open and is slidingly and guidingly retained within the inner shell in the following manner. A pair of elongated, preferably U-shaped tracks 10, interconnected by a series of spaced, arcuated cross-bars 12, are provided which can be slid in and out of the inner shell, as shown clearly in Figure 2. Because the cross-bars l2 are arcuated at their bottom edges to conform to the inner contour of the inner shell 26, the tracks can be securely retained within the inner shell, as will be readily understood. Secured to the bottom wall of the retort basket 66 is a plurality of brackets 'I4 which are, in turn, secured to shafts 16 which carry rollers 18 at their ends, which rollers are slidably received on or within the tracks 10. Thus, the retort basket 66 is rolled into the inner perforated shell 26 on the tracks 10, and after the retort basket is in proper position within the shell, the tracks 10 may be pushed into the shell to be wholly conned therein.

To further retain the basket 66 Within the pressure cooker so that there will be no lateral movement of the basket relative to the pressure cooker as the inner shell 26 is rotated, the inner shell 26 carries, at diametrically opposed positions, inwardly extending brackets 80 which are adapted to engage the side walls of the retort baskets 66, as will be obvious with reference to Figure 4. The brackets consist of a substantially S-shaped bar 82, to one leg of which is Welded a U-shaped bar or channel bar 84. To prevent any longitudinal movement of the retort basket 66 within the pressure cooker, the forward ends of the bars 82 are provided with suitable apertures B6, see Figure 6, which are in horizontal alignment. A latch bar 88 extends transversely across the inner shell 26 and is apertured adjacent its ends, as at 90, to receive headed pivot pins 92 which are removably retained in the apertures 86 and 90. Thus, when one of the pivot pins 92 is removed, the latch bar 86 may be pivoted on the other pivot pinf to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Both pivot pins may be removed, if desired, to allow for a complete removal of the latch bar.

In order to stack the cans 94 within the retort basket 66, a removable cover 96 is provided for the retort basket. However, a means must be provided to keep the removable cover 96 in place on the retort basket and in proper position within the inner shell 26 to prevent rattling of the removable cover or any relative lateral movement of the cover. This means consists of a jack 98 which is secured to the top of the cover 96, it being understood that while a screw-type, toggle jack is shown in the drawings, any other type jack may be employed to advantage. The jack 98 carries a bearing member |00, preferably in the form of a channel iron which is adapted to engage a further channel bar |02 which is carried by the inner shell 26 and extends inwardly thereof, the engagement occuring when the jack is in an extended position, as will be readily understood.

Thus, it will be seen that a novel pressure cooker is provided which will allow a retort basket containing cans of food to be rotated at a relatively slow speed within a steam jacket and which is further provided with a means for sliding the retort basket in and out of the steam jacket and retaining the same in a desired fixed position within an inner perforated shell to prevent endwise or lateral movement of the retort basket in the pressure cooker.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a. preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: 1. A pressure cooker comprising an outer shell and conduit means for conveying steam therethrough, an inner perforated shell, leg supports carried by said outer shell including bearings for rotatably mounting said inner shell within said outer shell, retort baskets for retaining stacked cans, means for slidably and guidingly retaining said retort baskets in said inner shell, and means for rotating said inner shell within said outer shell, said retort baskets including a removable cover and means for lockingly retaining said cover in place on said retort baskets and within said inner shell, said last-named means including a screw type toggle `jack secured to the top of said cover, a channel bearing member carried by said jack and a bar carried by said inner shell receiving said channel bearing member.

2. A pressure -cooker comprising an outer shell, conduit means for carrying live steam into and out of said shell, an inner perforated cylindrical shell, means supporting said inner shell for rota.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lees Jan. 1, 1901 Hughes Aug. 21, 1906 Hood Mar. 26, 1907 Forhan Sept. 29, 1908 Rogers Dec. 5, 1911 Smith Mar. 7, 1916 Babendreer Jan. 6, 1920 Schmidt Dec. 29, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy July 15, 1927 

